Starting off with an instrumental like this is a very daring move - I want this to be the LAST track on the album! The guitars at the start give it a bit of an Oriental feel to my ears, but then the song goes through a slew of different feels and progresses from one part to the other seamlessly. But honestly, there's something just a bit -off- that I can't quite express. I really like when the bed of guitars kick in, but they just lay down some rhythm base to everything else going on without adding anything extra. The solo is rocking but isn't spectacular. The one thing that I can't dispute is how this track sounds. It is brilliantly recorded, and really maps out the course that Lol and Kev would take very shortly.
Not a big fan of instrumentals but this opens the album out perfectly imo. Love the way it segues into Lazy Ways.
Where does one hear that jarring remixed version? The original is on Tenology and the 1997 (?) remaster I have.
I think i posted both versions. Nobody has stated I didn't yet. I don't know that it is jarring, but it is different.
I don't think it's a remix, just remastered very weirdly - anyhow, yes (like mentioned in several posts above), it is on that terrible 1997 remaster: 10cc - How Dare You! Regretfully, it's also on the budget compilation "I'm Not In Love - The Essential Collection". The track isn't included on Tenology, is it? We're talking about the title track.
This is the remastered, messed up version (maybe it's another mix, put there by mistake - it wouldn't surprise me, since that series contains several errors on the other albums as well): One can hear the difference at the beginning. They were remastered by one Roger Wake, it would be interesting to hear what he's got to say.
It's a different mix alright, you can hear it the very first seconds. The original has Kevin hitting a hi-hat when open, which is totally missing on the remaster. The remaster has extra percussion on the left channel @0:24 and some other percussion shortly before it kicks off at 0:39. Then the main instrument sounds pretty different etc, bass is boosted, EQ totally different and there's this swelling take-off sound at 1:48, lead guitar towards the end sounds muffled and it is heard longer etc. etc. (times indicated from the cd display). Btw there's no gizmo specified with the instruments on How Dare You (track).
Lazy Ways I personally really like this song, it has a beautifully written melody and the instrumentation is perfect. I like how the start of the song is the end of How Dare You?, which to be honest until doing the song thing individually I had never realised. Some really nice stereo effects, the keyboards subtle and textural nuances work beautifully. The stabs of guitar add beautiful colouring. I think Creme and Stewart really wrote this beautifully together Stewart's vocal is wonderful. I gather some folks aren't keen on this song from some of the things I have read, but I think this is a fantastic piece of writing, that is executed perfectly. It feels like every second is absolutely essential and contributes to my overall enjoyment of the song. Such wonderful chord progressions too. I am not altogether sure whether the lyrics are tongue in cheek or not to be honest, but I haven't had enough sleep this week and am not at my sharpest, but I really enjoy these lyrics and they are soothing to me. Perhaps it is the fact that I would like to have some lazy days Great song, from my perspective.
Lazy Ways How can you work yet avoid getting out of your lazy ways Love this track. Eric on six string bass is working great, the continuing triangle and tambourine, moog textures etc. That strange muffled drum sound from Silly Love is back and fits the job. After the break (great guitar sound) comes the best part with the 3 descending moog (?) notes, mimicked on fuzzy guitar, heavy piano chords and the songs gains drive. Crazy Days
Everything footprintsinthesand says, and I'd have to add that it has great piano and guitar parts running throughout, the singing is impassioned, and the laying is (as always) impeccable. The song never lets up, the narrator first want you to get out of your lazy Ways, then succumbs to the lure of daydreaming. What is it then? I think being laid back wins in the end. Lazy Ways is a strong contender for my favorite 10cc song (I don't think I could pick just one).
10cc - How Dare You! (CD, Europe, 1989) For Sale | Discogs For anyone hunting down the correct version
Lazy Ways - just by coincidence I'm listening to it right now on Tenology, I think it's one of their absolute best songs!
Lazy Ways This really is a lovely mood enhancing song, with some lovely musical textures & chord changes captured within it. Apparently this was a single in France (with the title track on the B-side): 10cc - Lazy Ways 4.5/5
I like Lazy Ways a lot - it's got a melody that can stick in your head and be recalled just by the title. Great song!
Very true! A couple of months ago I ordered all of Eric's solo CDs from a Russian seller - upon close inspection, they turned out to be fake (they all had the same visible manufacturing anomality on each disc though they're supposed to be from different manufacturers). Oh well, they were not really expensive, and the sound quality is okay.
Stewart seems to be somewhat an disregarded virtual genius. Great singer, great guitarist, very good keyboard player, great engineer, great mixer, great writer ...
Eric, to me, is the epitome of the oft-used “criminally underrated” tag. 10cc as a whole trend on the underrated side as a band, and that with Eric’s lack of profile since the split are the culprits I’d guess.
For the record that link to discogs was to a guy in the US called Topographic cd's, he seems like a decent fella and has two copies of the How Dare You? disc that has been recommended as the best version.
I think after a while he kind of just seemed to become a little introverted, and really relaxed about everything. I understand that, I am nowhere near as intense as I was as a young fella. The guy has an incredible track record musically, and as you say the band and Stewart both are criminally underrated. More often than not I do these threads on that basis. Bands I love that seem to have been forgotten, or getting a lot of modern era flack, or like Gentle Giant virtually and criminally unknown.
